National

Why this haste, Bardhan asks Manmohan

BHUBANESWAR: CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan on Tuesday reiterated that the Left was opposed to the country becoming a strategic partner of the U.S. by signing the civilian nuclear deal.

Wednesday would be a critical day, when the UPA-Left panel holds discussions on the proposed deal, he told a press conference here.

Mr. Bardhan said the government had not given the text of the pact to the panel till date, nor did it come forward with any new fact.

“Not even a paraphrase of the deal has been shown to us, and if the government submits any new proposal, the panel will consider the same.”

Questioning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s “haste” in going ahead with the deal, Mr. Bardhan urged United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi to take into consideration the stand taken by the Left and the UPA allies before the government proceeded with the process.

“When the government took two years to finalise the deal, why cannot it allow some time to sign the same? We must proceed as per our schedule, not as per the schedule of the U.S. government.”

The Left parties never wanted the country to go to the polls over the nuclear deal. “We are not keen to withdraw our support, but if they are keen to bring down their own government, how can we prevent it?”

Mr. Bardhan said, “This is the time for the country to fight inflation, not to sign the nuclear deal.”

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